Q&A: "No man shall covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times a year" — really?
"No man shall covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times a year" — really?
Question
As far as I know, the Jewish people gathered in Jerusalem to offer the Passover sacrifice at its appointed time. And then… the enemy came up against Jerusalem, laid siege to it [the situation was doubly severe, because they had to feed and give drink not only to the people of Jerusalem but also to the pilgrims… though on the other hand there were more fighters?], won, and destroyed the Second Temple.
So where is the Torah’s promise?
Answer
Promises like these are always given on the assumption that there is no additional consideration that would change the picture. Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman used to give the following example: “One who recites Havdalah over a cup of wine will have male children.” There are people who recited Havdalah over a cup and did not have sons (the Chazon Ish, for example). There may be other reasons (for example, because of the sin of vows, a person’s children die) because of which the outcome changes. Havdalah over a cup is one cause for the birth of sons, but there are other causes that can neutralize it.
So too in our case. There is a promise that making the pilgrimage will not worsen our situation. But if we deserve for the situation to be bad, the pilgrimage will not necessarily save us.
See all this in my article on ukimtot: https://mikyab.net/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%91%D7%98-%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%9E%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%AA